A Great Mistake
by Seth the Inu
Summary: A war between kingdoms. Can a love between two people from each kingdom sustain between the two?


**A Great Mistake**

_Disclaimer:  
>The characters do not belong to me.<em>

- O -

Unrest everywhere. No-one could go anywhere without breathing it in. Two countries at unease, spreading the feeling throughout their inhabitants. The threat of war lingered above both places, ready to break out in an instant…

- O -

Twin cries echoed throughout the castle of Thelasia, making King Theo IV rush towards the room his wife was in.

Slamming the doors of the room open, his dark blue eyes landed on the two bundles being rocked by their mother Andria, Queen of Thelasia, softly cooing to them.

Glancing up, peering through loose strands of honey-coloured hair, she smiled at her shocked husband. "My lord," she whispered to him, "your children and heir."

Breaking out of his stupor, King Theo stumbled towards the bed, his hands reaching out to pick up his heir. His wife lifted the child up for him, holding onto the younger twin.

He pulled the blanket away from his child, dark blue eyes meeting bright sky-blue ones. A gasp escaped his mouth as he stroked her tufts of blonde hair.

"Naminé," he announced, staring at his daughter and heir before lowering her back to her mother.

"Naminé," Andria confirmed as she passed their second-born over.

Theo stared at their son, with his closed eyes and fluffy wisps of blonde hair. Being male, he would come after his sister for the throne.

Thinking long and hard, Theo proclaimed, "His birth name shall be Roxas, but he will be known to all as the sister of Naminé, Roxana."

Surprised at what her husband just said, the Queen accepted her son, looking at him confusedly. "But, why?"

"A means of protection," he answered, turning to look out the window towards his kingdom. "War is almost upon us. Should anything happen to you, then the protection of our kingdom will fall onto Naminé. Roxas, however, can do nothing without proper training. And even then, he is still incapable because of what he is.

"We must change what is seen, train him in the ways that Naminé shall learn; he shall protect Naminé by being the first one targeted in the coming war."

Andria stared at her husband in horror, violet eyes wide, tears beginning to fill them. "You would...**use**...our children? In such a way?"

"In order to save this country and its people, then yes." Theo turned to his wife, sadness etched on his face. "Believe me, love, I have no wish to do this. But to protect all, a small sacrifice on our part must take place."

She looked down on their now sleeping children, tears dripping off her cheeks. "You're right; I'm sorry. One sacrifice against many more other innocents is a better choice." The Queen closed her eyes at the thought, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Let it be done."

He moved to his wife, embracing the weeping woman comfortingly while the country celebrated the birth of their new heirs, Princess Naminé and Princess Roxana.

- O -

_13 years later_

"Nami, wait!" Roxana squeaked, one hand to her throat, the other lifting the hem of her dress to catch up to her older sister.

She knew she wasn't normal to everyone else; she hadn't been since her birth. For she was actually a he; Prince Roxas, younger brother to the heir of Thelasia. Forced to change his physical appearance to the world and be an identical twin to Naminé.

To those who saw as he was, all they would see would be a growing girl following in her older sister's footsteps, shoulder-length blonde hair flowing loose around her face and bright cerulean eyes teeming with life and energy.

But to the very small group who did know of Roxas' true nature, their perspective was completely different; they saw a maturing boy being trained to be what he is not in order to protect his beloved sister for the war.

Roxas himself didn't care of the changes he had to make; it was all to protect his sister and their people. He did get annoyed now and then at how difficult he found it to act feminine, such as now with his voice beginning to break and deepen. He had to keep training his changing voice to remain at Roxana's high female voice.

"Wait for me, Nami! Please?"

Naminé laughed through her breathes, glancing behind her. "C'mon Roxana, stop being so slow! We've gotta hurry before Mother leaves again."

Two years after the twin's birth, war broke out between the two major countries, Thelasia and Darvok. Being the High Priestess of Thelasia, Queen Andria was needed to help in the defence of the country, causing her to constantly be away from her family. Whenever she was home on the rare occasion, it was hard to keep Naminé and Roxas away from her; she didn't mind though, welcoming the twins with a warm embrace.

This time was no exception. Naminé and Roxas flew into their mother's waiting arms, wrapping their own small ones around her waist.

"Mother!" Naminé cried out, holding tightly to the woman.

"Mother's home!" Roxas whispered, rubbing his face into his mother's skirts.

Andria laughed at their children, looking up to see her husband walking towards her. Whilst stern in front of the kingdom, King Theo was a kind man, loving to his family and closest friends. He always looked forward to the times when his wife visited home, bringing a sense of completeness with her.

Eyes soft at the sight of his family together, Theo embraced Andria, their two children moving to allow their father into the hug as well.

People of the court looked onto the tender scene, warm smiles on their faces at seeing the royal family united for a time.

- O -

_4 years later_

Roxas held tightly onto the reins, manoeuvring the panting horse further into the trees, away from his pursuers. Without looking back, he could tell that they were close, too close for comfort. He spurred his tired horse on even more, eager to reach the tree with enough time to hide.

He looked to the sky, hoping to see any sights or landmarks his father had told him about before he left.

"_Roxana," Theo began, "I have a task for you. A task that you were born for."_

_Roxas stood before his father in the great palace, saying nothing but watching._

"_Great tragedies have befallen upon us. I'm sorry to say, but your other has been slain by soldiers of Darkov."_

_Roxas gasped at the news, tears building and dripping from his eyes. But he still continued to watch his father, who had begun to pace, his body seeming haggard with the news._

"_Because of this atrocious act, our frontlines are deteriorating, both from the loss of their Queen and the savagery that now possesses the enemy._

"_Naturally, being the eldest, Naminé will have to take the place of Andria, and continue your mother's duties as High Priestess."_

"_But father, having Naminé at the front of the war...she's only 17! It's not safe for her at all up there!" the blonde exclaimed, managing to ensure he was using Roxana's voice._

"_Daughter, I know it is. But a plan has be devised, by myself and the council." Theo stopped pacing and looked at his son._

_Roxas' cerulean eyes narrowed. "And this is where I come in, am I correct?"_

_His father sighed, then glanced around the hall, lowering his voice so only Roxas would be able to hear him. "Yes. From your birth, I could feel the beginnings of the war, and knew I had to protect everyone in this kingdom. Your mother and I, we had to make one sacrifice._

"_Born a boy, you would be useless to this kingdom. Disguised as a girl, you could help it."_

_Stepping forward, Theo grabbed Roxas' face, lifting it up to stare at his son's cold expression. "I am truly sorry for all this without your say in it. But it will save Naminé."_

_Hearing his sister's name, the blonde teen's face began to relax. Sighing in despair, he whispered, "What do you want me to do?"_

_The King's eyes shut in worried relief. "To hide Naminé for a time, to keep her safe whilst protecting the army, you are going to be used as a distraction and be sent to the Land of the Tree People._

"_To reach it, you must travel north-west for two days; the Hyma Mountains will be your guide should you get lost. I will send a trust-worthy guard with you on your travel. He will know what to do when you arrive._

"_Now go, hurry!"_

"The Hyma Mountains," Roxas murmured, managing to keep control of his horse on the path.

Noticing how low the sun was in the sky, setting the sky ablaze, he watched out for the largest tree around, with its branches reaching for the sky. It was all his guard had managed to tell him before he died.

- O -

Continuing to ride for another hour, the noises behind him having softened slightly, Roxas finally noticed his destination.

The enormous tree was the focal-point of the large clearing. The trunk was huge, with its great roots digging deep into the ground and its thick branches, covered in lush, green leaves, seeming to almost reach the heavens themselves.

Scattered on the trunk and bark were holes and ledges, perfect for climbing and hiding in before getting to the entrance much further up the tree.

Wasting no time, Roxas jumped off his horse and removed the items off the animal before setting it free.

Not watching to see it retreat to the forest, the blonde sprinted towards the tree, pulling himself up onto one of the closest ledges.

He continued this process, only managing five ledges, before the sounds of his chasers became extremely loud. Roxas searched for the nearest hole in the tree, hoping to hide in there and wait for them to leave the area.

'There,' he thought, scrambling towards one on a ledge across from his.

Tossing himself into the dark area, Roxas whispered a simple spell he had learnt under his breath, managing to further hide himself in his hole as the pursuers entered the clearing.

He released a sigh, his head turning to the entrance of the small cave, only to see something small glint.

His necklace!

The others must have seen it too, for excited voices could be heard, then grunts of people pushing themselves onto ridges.

'No,' he thought. Worried about how unsafe he felt but unable to move for fear of breaking the spell. All he could do was watch.

Roxas' breathe hitched as one of the people stood in front of his hole, but not out of fear.

Back at his home, no-one had attracted his attention no matter how much people tried. But where all had failed, this person had succeeded without even trying.

The most noticeable thing Roxas had to admit was the flaming red hair that went everywhere on the man's head. The blonde had never seen such a bright colour for hair, his blue eyes automatically drawn to it. He next noticed how tall but lean the man was; Roxas guessed the redhead was not a man, but only a couple of years older than he was.

When the older teen turned his head towards the inside of the cave, Roxas saw two dark markings contrasted on his pale face. What really entranced him though, were the eyes above the markings. Those bright emerald eyes that seemed to be looking at him, but weren't.

"Axel!" a voice called out, snatching the redhead's attention.

'Axel,' Roxas thought, a small smile on his face as he watched the exchange between the older teen and another person about the necklace. He almost moaned in displeasure as his new-found interest walked away, leaving his sight.

Sitting in the back of the cave, waiting for night to fully descend, Roxas slowly crept to the mouth of the cave, peering to the ground.

"Damn it,' he softly cursed; he was unable to leave his spot. A group, roughly around 40 people, had settled at the base of the tree with campfires around the area, casting light onto the bark.

Carefully moving his body around, Roxas positioned himself near the front of the cave, re-applying his spell from before. Not knowing how long he would be there for, he searched for the redheaded teen from before, willing to observe how his captivator acted.

- O -

Three days had passed, and Roxas was still stuck in the cave.

Three days of being unable to move, only watching the unmoving group by the tree.

During those three days, he had watched Axel, feeling himself growing more attached to the teenager.

'Is this love?' the blonde wondered, curious to the emotions and feelings he had whenever he thought or saw his interest. 'I want to meet him.'

Closing his eyes, he stretched his mind up the tree, trying to find contact with the inhabitants of the village in hopes to get help, with one condition.

- O -

Blue eyes watched as the people from Darkov stumbled to their beds, incapable of staying awake after the sun disappeared from the sky.

Scanning the area, Roxas found the bright red hair of Axel. Smiling gently, he carefully lowered his body to the ground, eyes watching out for any sudden movements from the soldiers.

He lifted his skirts up slightly as he crept around the sleeping bodies towards the redhead.

Roxas knelt over the sleeping figure, his hand ghosting over Axel's face, his mind drifting. He didn't notice the green eyes opening, nor the hand that swiftly grabbed the blonde's wrist in accusation.

Gasping at the contact, Roxas snapped out of his daze, blue, worried eyes meeting cold, green ones.

Neither person moved, stuck at staring at each other.

Moments passed between them before Roxas gave a small, tentative smile. The redhead's eyes widened, losing their hard look.

He released the blonde's wrist before pushing his body up into a sitting position, causing Roxas to move backwards. Neither spoke words, only staring at each other; the blonde in affection, the redhead in curiosity.

The blonde hesitantly stretched his hand out, watching Axel's reaction, until he touched the area over his heart. His eyes drifted towards the hand, gazing at the way it was placed, before shyly looking back at Axel's face.

The redhead's face had softened at the action. His eyes gazed at Roxas' face, compassion swirling in their depths.

Without thought, he brought his hand up to his own heart, entangling his long fingers with the blonde's smaller ones. He leant forwarded, causing his forehead to rest on Roxas' one, not breaking eye contact.

The two males forgot about all else around them, content with staying as they were, until one of the sleeping soldiers groaned, causing the two to spring apart.

Glancing upwards towards the branches of the tree, Roxas took note of moon's position and how the leaves shook unnaturally against the wind.

He looked back down, worried for his unsuspecting redhead. The blonde knew what was going to happen, but needed to ensure that it wouldn't happen to Axel. Roxas needed to set the older teen apart from his group.

Untangling their hands, Roxas grabbed Axel's face, silencing any questions from the redhead by joining their mouths together.

'Please, don't touch him,' Roxas thought, sending the message out to those waiting in the trees, 'He is not to be harmed.'

The blonde pulled away and, without an explanation, left Axel alone, running towards the tree. But it did not matter.

Axel unwillingly fell backwards, his eyes closing as he dreamed of sparkling blue eys, shut out from the dying screams of his comrades from assailants out of the trees.

- O -

"What the hell?" Axel whispered, looking around the clearing.

Everywhere he turned, all he could see were the remains of his group, scattered over the area, while he was untouched.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Axel looked down to the ground, pondering the strange situation and what he was to do, when he noticed a symbol dug into the ground beside his bed.

An arrow pointing towards the tree.

Sceptical about it, the redhead just stood there, thinking it a trap, until a glint from his bag drew his attention. The necklace he had found in front of the cave had caught a sliver of sunlight peeking through the leaves.

He remembered last night - blue eyes, flowing blonde hair, the gentle kiss, a figure running towards the tree.

Bending down, he forgot about the carnage around him as he grabbed the chain and ran towards the ledges while not caring about being careful and quiet, his sight fixated on the cave in which he found the necklace in front of.

The cave was empty when he arrived at it, devoid of any life. The redhead crumpled to the ground in defeat, green eyes darting around the cave walls, only to stop their frantic movements when they noticed another arrow, pointing upwards this time.

Wasting no time, Axel got back up and sprung himself willingly towards another ledge higher up, no idea on how high he needed to go.

All he did was go higher…and higher...and higher…

- O -

Panting heavily, the redhead heaved his body onto the last ledge, his body collapsing under the effort.

Many hours went by as he had climbed to the top, the teen not stopping.

But here, now at the end, with no way of getting higher and no entrance, he had fallen into a tired heap, eager for another sign from anywhere.

Hoping it might help this time as it did with the last two signs, Axel pulled out the blonde's necklace, threading it around his hand and letting the amethyst pendant dangle in the sun. His eyes closed while he tried to control his laboured breathing, missing out of watching an outline emerge from the tree's bark.

Axel was bewildered when his eyes finally opened; a great wooden door had appeared in front of him on the ledge.

Hesitation and suspicion pushed aside, he pushed open the doors, walking into the enormous tree, not noticing the waiting soldiers on the other side.

- O -

Axel struggled against the many hands that held him down on the ground.

Having been caught and tied, the teen was blindfolded then lead down numerous hallways, losing his sense of direction, until reaching the large hall of the place.

"Look up at the right King, Darkov scum," one of his captors growled, yanking his head back.

Sitting on a regal wooden throne before him was King Theo, his piercing dark blue stare fixated on Axel.

"Boy," the King started coldly, "how did you come by this necklace?" Theo held up the mentioned jewellery, amethyst glinting in the light.

"I found it, near the base of the tree, by one of the caves."

"And just what were you doing around the tree?"

Axel didn't respond to the question, glaring at the Thelasian King with narrowed emerald eyes.

"Well, boy?"

The redhead lowered his to the ground, silence following Theo's question.

"Very well then," the man stated, standing up from his throne. "You prove no further use to us. Kill him."

The teen closed his eyes in defeat, missing seeing a blonde female run towards the King, grabbing his arm while shaking her head, pleading with her eyes to not kill Axel.

The redhead continued to wait for death, surprised when he was instead dragged away.

"Stick him in a cell for now, until a more suitable punishment is decided," King Theo's voice followed him.

- O -

Roxas dragged the village elder down the stairs with him, needing someone to help translate his words.

The blonde knew where Axel had been taken, but didn't trust his father. He needed to rescue the older boy immediately, and the elder would help him succeed.

Everything had been arranged - the horse, food, spare clothing, money, anything he might need for an extended trip. All they needed was the redhead.

The exact redhead that was now in front of Roxas.

Releasing the village elder's arm, he ran to the bars of the cell, the noise attracting Axel's attention.

The two met at the bars, starring at one another, Axel's hand reaching out to cup Roxas' face.

"You shouldn't be here," the older teen whispered, grateful that the blonde was.

Roxas only shrugged, a smile on his face as he leant into the touch.

Embarrassed at witnessing the loving display between the two, the elder coughed loudly, causing the couple to blush and look towards him.

"Darkov soldier," he began, only to be interrupted by a voice in his head.

'Axel.'

"Ah. Axel, then," he continued, watching the redhead's surprised face and Roxas' pleased one, "we are here to help you escape this place. Roxas too."

"Roxas? Who's Roxas?" Axel questioned while the blonde looked at the elder shocked.

The older man, amused smile on his face, gestured to the younger teen. "Young Axel, I present to you Prince Roxas, younger brother to High Priestess of Thelasia, Princess Naminé."

"…**Prince** Roxas?" Axel was shocked; he had always believed that the two children of Thelasia were identical sisters, only to now find out it was all a façade. He looked to the blonde, who had lowered his face to the floor in embarrassed shame.

"Roxas?" he called out, gaining the younger teen's attention, a blue eyes looking at green ones. "Roxas, talk to me. Please."

"That is not possible." Axel tore his gaze away from Roxas to the village elder, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

"In order to spare your life in the attack the other night, Roxas had to sacrifice his voice to us, making him a mute from now on."

The redhead's emerald eyes drifted back to the blonde's slumped figure. He stretched a hand out through the bars, grabbing one of Roxas', causing his head to shoot up. "Thank you."

Roxas smiled, a happy tear falling out of his relieved blue eyes. He threaded his fingers with Axel's, their hands clasping together.

"As touching as this is," their viewer began, watching the tender scene, "you two must leave. Yes, you as well Roxas." He laughed at the Prince's face. "It would be wrong of me to separate the two of you, no matter what others would think of the union.

"Come now. We have spent much time down here and away from court that people may begin to get curious and send others to search for us."

- O -

With the help of the elder of the village, no-one noticed the two figures descending the large tree then retreating to the forest, finding waiting horses for them there.

The couple set off, arriving at the border before the sun began to rise in the sky.

Leaving behind all worries and cares behind them, the two teens shed their old lives, planning on a new future together in a different land across the sea.

- O -

"I hear King Theo of Thelasia is having problems," an elderly woman remarked conversationally to her neighbour, spreading the gossip around to whoever she could.

"Oh really?" he replied, feigning curiosity to the news.

But she didn't notice the pretence. "Oh yes. Apparently, Princess Roxana has gone missing. Probably kidnapped by a prisoner they had. The whole country is in turmoil!"

"That's not good. And them in the middle of a war. Not good at all. Anyway, goodbye ma'am. I must be on my way now."

"Very well then, dear. Oh, and tell the little blonde boy I saw hello, would you?" she asked over her shoulder, walking away.

"Will do," he assured, saluting her off with two fingers before walking up into his house.

A hand tugged at the sleeve of his shirt questioningly, the owner appearing at his side the instant of his entrance, blue eyes worried.

The older male laughed joyfully, grabbing his blonde in a tight hug. "We're safe."

Roxas sighed in relief, resting his head against Axel's chest as he hugged his lover back. 'Good,' he was saying through his actions.

"All is well."

- O -

Written for 'Fiona Appreciation Day'.

Every fortnight, I show my appreciation for my good friend Fiona, and have done this for her for this fortnight.

This completely random story was actually a dream I had three months ago. But the people were ones my subconscious made up though, not actually Axel and Roxas.

I'm so weird! :) . Hehe.

Seth the Inu.


End file.
